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Verified By Apollo General Physician September 20, 2023
Dehydration is due to the loss of water and electrolytes through excessive sweat, vomit, stool, and urine. To negate the effects of dehydration, Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), a solution of electrolytes with sugar and water, helps rehydrate the body.
This article covers the various aspects of ORS and how it saves us from dehydration.
It’s normal to lose water from the body every day through breath, sweat, urine, stools, tears and saliva. Usually, we replenish it by drinking fluids and eating water-rich foods. If someone loses too much water or doesn’t replace it, they can get dehydrated.
Following are other reasons you may lose more water than usual:
Signs of mild or moderate dehydration include:
Signs of severe dehydration include:
Symptoms for young children and babies can be different than for adults. The symptoms include:
Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is made of water, sugar, and electrolytes, specifically potassium and sodium. ORS helps in replenishing the body’s fluid levels. It’s generally used to treat moderate dehydration due to diarrhea, vomiting, or other conditions.
You can treat mild dehydration with fluids such as water and clear broth.
But in the case of moderate dehydration, an ORS is considered ideal. In addition to containing water, ORS also contains specific amounts of glucose and electrolytes. The electrolytes are potassium and sodium.
These components help in maximizing fluid absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. The gastrointestinal tract relies on sodium-glucose cotransporters (SGLTs), which are carriers of proteins in the intestinal cells of the body. Cotransporters help move substances across membranes in the body.
Specifically, SGLTs combine sodium and glucose transport in the small intestine. It then allows glucose to increase the absorption of fluids in the body. Additionally, sodium needs glucose to be adequately absorbed. Therefore, ORS contains both glucose and sodium.
ORS drinks help treat mild dehydration.
Diarrheal episodes are common in children and adults, sometimes resulting in extreme dehydration and loss of essential minerals from the body.
When the body loses excess fluids and salts from the body, consuming ORS drinks helps restore lost salts and glucose.
Rehydration is essential for every athlete due to the fluids and electrolytes they lose through excessive sweating. Consuming rehydrating supplements such as ORS can pump up the energy in athletes by boosting their hydration levels. It also keeps an athlete safe from injury.
The body feels weak and tired when it is not hydrated enough. By drinking ORS, a person can quickly reduce fatigue and weakness and feel active and energetic.
If you cannot find ORS near you, the most effective and least expensive options are available in your kitchen. However, these substitutes (preferable boiled) need to contain:
Other traditional substitutes such as the following make for a highly effective oral rehydration solution:
However, if none of the abovementioned ingredients is unavailable, the other alternatives are as follows:
You can replace white sugar with molasses or any other form of raw sugar as they contain more potassium than white sugar.
It is not difficult to prepare a homemade ORS. All you need is clean, boiled, and cooled water, some sugar and salt. Mix six teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt for one litre of water. Mix all the ingredients till they dissolve.
Another effective way to prepare homemade ORS for children with watery diarrhoea is by mixing rice cereal, water, and sugar until it thickens. But the consistency should be drinkable. Adding a banana or other non-sweetened mashed fruit helps provide the required potassium. Parents should continue feeding the child in small amounts at regular intervals.
As effective as ORS prevents dehydration, wrong or excessive use can also cause specific side effects.
The possible side effects of ORS are-
If any of these side effects persist for a more extended time and worsen the condition, it’s crucial to contact the doctor to avoid severe health complications.
It is also essential to keep in mind that consuming ORS daily is not healthy. Overconsumption can cause the deposition of extra salts and minerals in the body, which may lead to problems including diabetes and arthritis.
The correct dosage for children under the age of 2 is at least half a large glass of ORS after each watery stool and for children above the age of 2 is at least one large glass of ORS after each watery stool.
Our body needs water to function correctly, and it gets dehydrated when it fails to receive enough water. However, a person may need intravenous (IV) fluids if they become dangerously dehydrated. The reasons for severe dehydration are as follows
As mentioned above, an oral rehydration solution treats moderate dehydration. It’s made of water, glucose, sodium, and potassium. The combination optimizes fluid absorption in the body, which then helps quickly replenish fluids. The solution is often used to treat dehydration caused due to diarrhea or vomiting. One can buy it over the counter or get a prescription. If a person has had a lot of diarrhea or vomiting, they should speak with a doctor. They can determine if the person needs an oral rehydration solution or if they need intravenous fluids.
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